Spring-tensioning mechanism



E. E( WEAVER.

` SPRING IENSIOIIIIIIIG IvIEcHAIIIsIvI.

APPLICATION FILED APR.. 6, 1920 RENEWEDSEPT. 13,1921.

1,401,842. Patented Deu. 27, 1921.

Egg/A E. E. WEAVER. SPRING TENSIONING MECHAN-ISM. APPLICATION msu APR.e, 1920 AENzwEDsEPT. 13.1921.

Patented Deu. '27, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' ELMUS E. WEAVER,

0F BOISE, IDAI'IOyASSVIGNOR T0 WEAVER SPRING C01VIPANY,"OF

BOISE, IDAHO, A CORPORATION OF IDAHO. f K -i siennvs-'rnnsronmeivrnc'HAnIsi/r.

1,401,842. Application filed. April 6, 1920,`Seria1 No. 371,647'.`

T o all whom it may cof/wem Y Be it known that l, ELMUs E. VEAVER, acitizen of the United States, residing at, Boise, in the county ofrAdaand State of Idaho, have invented new and usefulflm-M provements inSpring-Tensioning Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to improvements in spring suspensionmechanism for vehicles and more specically to img rovements in thetensioning means emplovedl in connectionwith spring suspensionmechanisms of the' types disclosed in my co-pending -applicationsVSerial Numbersv 311,759, filed July 18, 1919, :ma 371,646, YfiledApril, 1920.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple device than can bereadily clamped or otherwise secured to the frame of al ve hicle lforthe purpose of adjusting the ten. sion of the supporting springs in aconl Fig. 2 is a partialsectiona'l view.

venient and effective manner.

With this and other lobjects in view my invention consists of ycertainnew and useful constructions and combinations of partsv as will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying 'drawingszl Figure 1 is a plan view of the chassisofa vehicle having my improved mechanism supply journal members for saidrods. I An L-shaped arm 37 projects from each collar applied thereto.

-Figf'3 'is a transverse sectional view ony the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. IFig. 4 is an venlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 of `Fig. 2showinga portion i' that the ordinary of the actuating gearing. Fig. 5 isa'detail perspective view of theA tensioning plate. On reference 4channel frame or. chassis of a motorv vehicle is illustrated at10. Suitfable'filler pieces 11 having longitudinal slotsAv i flanges of Athechannel sides of the chassis.

12 formed thereinv are disposed between ,the

Front and rear cross-head members desig-V vnated 13 and 14,respectively,

are provided with reduced ends which slidably tit within' rear framepieces said slots. VRodsj16 having integral heads 17 extend throughalining apertures 1n the 18 and cross-heads 14, 13.

The forward ends of these rods are threaded for receiving adjusting nuts19. Rods 20 also 'passed transvers v ing from to Fig. 1, it will,belseenlt p link 40 and arm 39 1s also preferably-of the ball andsocketV type.

y Patented Dec. 27; 1921.

Renewed september lis, 1921. seriailNo. 500.438., n

y having integral heads 21 extend .through -alining apertures in thecross-heads 14, 13

and are forked at their forward ends to receive the upper ends ofswinging plates 23 to, which the rodsyare pivotally securedfby p1ns'22.Coil springs 24 are .mounted on 'the rods '16 and 20 and compressedbetween the two cross-heads 13,14.

L-shaped rods 25 extend from bearings 26 secured to the rear axle ofthevehicle vnear each end thereof. The bearings26'aremade in two parts,each part'being formed with a hemispherical socket for receiving theball ends 27 of the rods 25.. The two parts of the bearings26 aredetachably secured te'l gether by suitable fastening devices 28. The

bearing parts are also eachprovided with 1 'flanges vthat conform tothecurvature of the rear axle orrear axle yhousing and U-bolts 30'. engagethese flanges and firmly Vhold'the bearing in kplace by meansof theVbent straps 31 and nuts 32. A bolt 30 Vis ely through the hubV of .topreventv turning movement ofthe bearing. Y y One arm of each of the pL-shapedrods V25 extends through a :sleeve 33, the ,opposing ends of therods being spaced apart as shown 1 at 34. Collars 35 are secured to therods 25 and are -loc'atedfjinbearing members 36 se-V cured tothe frame10 ofthe vehicle and thus 34 vand partially overlies an arm 39 extend--the sleeve 33. f The L-shaped arm is provided with threaded aperturethrough which a set screw. 38 vis inserted for engaging the arm 39.v Y

'A link 40 connects each arm 39 and a split' socket bearing 41`atthelower end of the plate 23. The 4connection l42 between the the channellframe opposite said bracket 43.

A bevel ,pinion 52 isA fastened to shaft 49 the yspaced apertured A.transverse shaft 49 l extends so as to mesh with pinion a8. Spur gears53 are also secured to this shaft in proximity to the opposite framemembers.

Each plate 23 is provided with lan arcuate slot of such lateraldimension to receive one of the gears therein and allow a slightclearance. The forward arcuate lace of -the slot is formed with gearteeth thereby constituting a gear sector in mesh with a gear 53. Eachgear 53 is formed with apertures adapted to aline with apertures 55'formed in "danges 56. Fastening devices such as bolts (not shown) passthrough these apertures and maintain the flanges in Contact with eachtace oit the plate 23 thereby restraining the plate from lateral motion.Collars 49 threaded into each end of shaltt e9 take the end thrust onsaid shaft. u

A. shaft 57 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 58 and 59 secured toa side member of the chassis ofthe vehicle normally cooperates withbevel pinion 47 through bevel pinion 60 in mesh therewith and secured tothe shaft. A hand wheel 6l disposed in convenient reach of the driver ofthe vehicle communicates its rotary motion to shaft 57 through theinstrumentality of worm G2 mounted on the shaft Yor" the vhand wheel andworm wheel 63 securedV to shaft 57i lt will be understood that the loadand relative vertical movements between theV frame of the vehicle andrear axle are communicated to the springs, through rods 25, sleeve 83,links 40, plates 23 and rods 20. Rods 20 exert a pull on cross-headmember 14 which compresses the springs located between cross-heads 13and 14C. lf Ait is desired to adjust the tension of the springs it isonly necessary to turn the hand wheel inAV proper direction, in whichcase, the ends 22A l and 4l will swing correspondingly and uniformlyrelease or add compression to the springs. During this action plates 22swing about gears 53 as pivots andjtor the slight range of adjustmentrequired the ends 22 and '4.1 maintain practically their same horizontalpositions and move either forward or backward. The rods 20 and 40 alwaysexert a pull on the plates 23 so that the gear sectors will bemaintained in mesh with the gears 53. 'lheadjustinent ot plates 23 alsoinvolves a change in the upper and lower lever arms so that a slightchange in position of the plate 23 gives a considerable variation in thetension.

l claim:

l. A. tensioning device comprising two members, spring means interposedbetween said members, means for maintaining one .of said members inposition and mechanism for adjusting the position ofthe other of saidmembers vcomprising gear sectors, gears meshing with and forming pivotsi'or said sectors and means for rotating' said gears.

said connecting means.

iaoneae 2. A tensioning device comprising an adj ustable member and amovable member having spring means therebetween, a plate hav- .rotatingsaid gear whereby said. plate is moved about said gear as a pivot.

A tensioning device for the spring supporting means or' a vehicle,comprising the combination with the spring means, or a plate having anarcuate slot, gear teeth on one tace or said slot, a gear meshing withsaid gear teeth, a rod connected with the spring means Vand plate, anoscillatory arm, means tending to rotate said oscillatory arm in onedirection in opposition tothe spring means, a link pivotally secured tosaid plate and said arm, and mechanism for rotating said gear wherebysaid plate pivots about said gear for adjusting the tension of Ythespring means and changing the angular. relation of said plate relativeto said rod and. link. Y

e. A tensioning device for the spring supporting means of a vehiclecomprising the combination with the spring means, oit" a plate having agear sector, a gear meshing wit-lisaid sector and forming a pivot forsaid plate, an oscillatory arm, means tending to rotate said oscillatoryarm in one direction in opposition to the spring means, connections fromsaid sector at opposite sides of said gear to the spring means andsaidosl0() cillatory arm, respectively, and means for rotatinf` said gearwhereby said plate moves about said gear as a pivot and changes thelever arms of said connections.

5. A tensioning device for the spring sup- 105 porting means oiavehicle, comprising the combination with the spring means,1of a plate,means connecting said plate to the spring means andjto Ya loadl opposingsaid spring moans, respectively, for said plate located between saidconnecting means for imparting movements of rotation and translation tosaid plate whereby the resultant oi said motions is imparted to 6. Atensioning devicefor the spring supporting means of a vehicle,comprising the combination with the spring means, of a plate, anoscillatory arm, a rotatable pivot for said plate, means connecting saidplate and the spring means at one side of said pivot, a link connectingsaid arm and plate at Vtheother side of said pivot wherebya rotation ofVsaid pivot limparts rotary movement to said plate and changes theleverf arms ot said connections.

7. A tensionino' device for porting means or a vehicle, comprising thecombination with the spring means, f of a plate having anarcuate slottherein, gear the spring supa rotatable pivot 110 'Y nections from saidplate at one side of saidk gear to the spring means and at the otherside to said arm, respectively, whereby said gear teeth are constantlymaintained in mesh with said gear and means for rotating said gear forimparting pivotal movements Ato said plate. 8. A tensioning device forthe spring supporting means of a vehicle, said means being horizontallydisposed between astationaryr and a movable member, comprisingvertically movable pivoted plates arranged near opposite sides of thevehicle and means 'for rotating said plates to the same degree andconnections from said plates to the movable member for imparting thesame adjustment.

to all the spi'invs between said members.

9. A tensioning device for the spring supporting means of a vehiclecomprising avertically movable pivoted plate, an oscillatory arm, meansconnecting said arm and an axle of the vehicle tending to rotate saidarm in opposition to said spring means, a connection rom'said plate tothe spring means on I one side of the pivot and from said plate to theoscillatory arm on the other side of the i pivot, and means for rotatingsaid pivot.

10. A tensioning device for spring means comprising a vertically movablegear sector, an oscillatory arm, means tending to rotate said arm inopposition to the spring means, a connection from said sector to saidarm, a connection from said Vsector to the spring means, and a gearin'mesh With said sector between said connections yfor imparting rotary`movement to said sector. n testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand. Y

ELMUs E. WEAVER.

